Sustainable Agriculture in Nepal

Dear Friend of ETC,

Spring is just ahead! But meanwhile in Nepal, the important work of ensuring that families can grow more nutritious food continues year-round.

Although Nepal's economy is heavily based on agricultural work - an estimated 80% of Nepalis work at least part-time in the agricultural sector - insufficient access to resources and inadequate infrastructure have meant that poor rural families often don't get enough to eat. They don't have the knowledge or the basic tools to avoid malnutrition and food insecurity.

ETC changes all that. We provide high-quality seeds and seedlings, tools and supplies (such as bamboo poles, plastic sheets, hoses, etc.), and training to help women grow more and better food, even in the winter! In the villages where we are presently working, the winter weather is suitable for certain crops such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage.

We focus on low-cost, eco-friendly methods. Take the example of using agro-chemicals for pest control purposes. Agro-chemicals are terribly expensive for small farmers as well as causing damage to the soil, thus eventually DECREASING crop yield. Earlier this year, we held a training at which dozens of women learned which locally available plants to put in place around their gardens and fields, to attract the beneficial insects that will not cause harm to the crops, but instead will destroy certain pests that do cause harm to the crops.

We have nearly reached our fundraising goal for this project. On behalf of the thousands of Nepalis who can now eat more and better food, I thank you for your interest in and support of this important work! I also encourage you to visit our other active GlobalGiving project, which is #15934 (link below), to learn more about our efforts to improve schools in rural Nepal.

Links:

• Better Schools in Rural Nepal
• ETC's Facebook page